Snowmobiles in the Environment Essay Example

the implementation was targeted at the snowmobiles produced for the 2006 model year. Additional requirements will be phased in for the 2010 and 2012 model years. The new standards used a baseline HC (hydrocarbons) and CO (carbon monoxide) for the two stroke engines. This is measured in grams per kilowatt hr. The baseline HC for a two-stroke snowmobile engine 152 g/KW-hr, the CO baseline was 405 g/KW-hr. The required improvement for 2006 set the max HC at 100 g/KW-hr and the max CO at 275 g/KW-hr.

The snowmobile industry has responded by recalibrating the existing two-strokes, bringing in new direct injection technology, and offering four-stroke engine alternatives. The two-stroke recalibration option by itself (HC of 74 g/kw-hr and CO of 201 g/KW-hr) has exceeded the 2006 regulations and is on the verge of meeting the 2012 regulations. The direct injection and four-stroke options that are available already meet the emissions requirements for 2012. The direct injection option performs at a HC of 30 g/KW-hr and a CO of 123 g/KW-hr.

The four-stroke option performs at an HC of 11g/KW-hr and a CO of 168 g/KW-hr. The direct injection two-stroke (Frequently asked questions from snowmobilers, September 2002) actually has lower CO emissions than that of a four-stroke. Extensive reports have been produced by the National Parks Service that compare snowmobile emissions to that of snow coaches, automobiles, trucks, and RV’s. The reports were made to discuss air quality concerns related to snowmobile usage in national parks.

The report titled “Air Quality Concerns Related to Snowmobile Usage in National Parks” (February 2000), does a decent job of comparing different emissions related to the different

motor vehicle types. The major emissions concerns that have been directed at snowmobiles have been the HC and CO emissions. In the above listed report that was complied in February 2000, which was prior to the implementation of EPA standards for snowmobiles, snowmobiles contributed to 68% of all HC emissions in Yellowstone National Park.

Snowmobiles were responsible for 42% of CO emissions, and less than 1% of the N0x emissions as well. If snowmobile use were permitted at the levels listed in the “Air Quality Concerns Related to Snowmobile Usage in National Parks” report with the new emissions standards with the use of direct injection two-strokes, a far different outcome would be had. HC emissions would be 27% instead of 68%, CO emissions would be 18% rather than 42%. The N0x emissions are already far below the automobile, snow coach and truck percentages.

If these same numbers were calculated based on four-stroke usage, the percentages for the HC emissions would be another third lower. Of all the emissions that snowmobiles produce, CO emissions are the most harmful to the global environment by contributing to global warming. When compared to the CO emissions produced by automobiles, the cleanest snowmobile could still produce 4 times the CO than that of an automobile operated for the same distance. N0x is the gas that is most likely to contribute surface air pollution such as smog. Two stroke engines by nature only contribute a fraction of the N0x that automobiles do.

Global warming is said to come from green house gasses that are byproducts of many man-made processes such as burning fossil fuels and many natural processes

such as methane gas produced from animal waste. The theory that global warming exists has seen some recent scrutiny from Senator James Inhofe. In a September 2006 speech he gave in the senate (Hot and cold media spin cycle: A challenge to journalists who cover global warming, September 2006) Senator Inhofe challenged the validity of global warming. He quoted news articles over the last 100 years that have gone back and forth between global warming and a coming ice age.

He tells of a medieval warming trend that lasted 400 years and “The Little Ice Age” that lasted from 1500 through 1850. It is Senator Inhofe’s belief that global warming is nothing more than climate change that is beyond our control. In a paper written by three University of Michigan students, (Global Warming: Fact or Fiction? , 1998) the existence of global warming is challenged again. This paper points out that much of the conclusions that support the theory of global warming are based on current temperature trends rather than global history.

It points out that we don’t really know what “normal” is when it comes to temperature. Recorded temperature readings are only dated back to around 1850. Temperature readings prior to that are based on computer models and history of climatic events. Without knowledge of what normal is, how can anyone determine whether the current trend of warming has been affected by human activities or if it is just part of nature. Although the EPA has established new exhaust emissions standards, they have not recently addressed excessive noise pollution created from snowmobile use.

According to the ISMA (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association),

(Snowmobile facts: sound n. d. ) snowmobiles have been limited to 78dba measured at 50 ft under full throttle since 1975. In response to the claims made by ISMA, an article from the Bluewater Network claims that (ISMA’s “Snow Facts” – A Snow Job! n. d. ) snowmobiles produce between 85-111dba. The Bluewater article does not state the distance that the 85-111dba was recorded. Noise as related to snowmobiles and the way affects wildlife is very subjective at this point.

Many articles have been written that make claims about potential impacts that the noise could have but they are not accompanied with data to back up the claims. It is very easy for a reasonable person to agree with a claim that excessive noise would limit an animal’s ability to detect prey. This in turn could cause said prey to have a lower survival rate in areas where snowmobiles creating excessive noise persist. Other examples include potential communication limitations from animal to animal that could limit mating. The main argument to reduce the excessive noise is how it impacts other humans.

The National Parks Service employees that occupy the entrance gates in Yellowstone Park are very concerned with the noise emissions as they claim that the noise level exceeds a safe limit of 85dba. Continued exposure at this level could hearing damage if not protected against it. The Bluewater Network discusses how noise can affect the wilderness experience in Yellowstone Park (ISMA’s “Snow Facts” – A Snow Job! n. d. ) by the persistence of noise created from snowmobiles. In areas within Yellowstone Park such as old faithful, snowmobile noise can be heard

nearly 100% of the time.

In areas that are set up to be multi use, the wilderness experience that is expected by cross-country skiers and snow-shoers is also adversely affected. Noise will continue to be an issue with snowmobiles unless regulations are put in place in the multi-user areas. Decibel meters could be used at the entrance to areas designated as “low noise areas” could limit access to only those that are compliant. This would allow snowmobile users and the non-motorized users to co-exist with minimal conflict. Areas that are maintained for snowmobile use should have decibel limits but they should be less restrictive.

These areas wouldn’t exclude foot traffic but it would be understood that higher noise levels are likely. The areas that are already designated for non-motorized use only should not have an issue with snowmobile noise. In conclusion, snowmobiles do indeed have an affect on the environment and other users of the National Parks. The smoke that is created by the older two-stroke engines is annoying and it does take away from the wilderness experience. The emissions do contribute to smog and are unhealthy. Although snowmobiles contribute to poor air quality, it is unclear on whether or not they contribute to global warming.

The science behind global warming is not as clean as the media has claimed it to be. There are way too many arguments that support that global warming does or does not exist for the average citizen to offer much more than emotional support in either direction. The greatest impact seems to be the noise created by snowmobiles. Two-stroke or four-stroke, either type makes more noise

than it should. The snowmobile riders wear heavily insulated helmets that tend to quiet the noise. From their perspective, they are not that noisy.

From the perspective of a cross-country skier or backcountry snowshoer, they are excessively loud and intrusive on their experience. Snowmobiles do have limits on where they are allowed to operate though. Many areas are not available to motorized vehicles and offer the peace and quiet that many of the cross-country skiers are looking for. America is full of choices. The folks that choose to ski and snowshoe in multi-user areas should expect that there would be some smoke and noise that will come with it. They have the choice. They should choose to go where they can get the experience they are looking for.